Facts for the Public The New York Public Library 1921 form p-050a fv-2-21 loin] PRINTED AT THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY CONTENTS PAGE General Statement ----- 5 Reference Department - 11 Hours of Opening - 12 Circulation Department - 15 Hours of Opening - 30 Special Collections - 17 Picture Collection - 21 Extension Division - 21 Library for the Blind - 22 Children's Rooms - 23 School Work ------ 26 Library School ------ 27 Municipal Reference Library - - 29 Directory of Branch Libraries - - 31-42 Board of Trustees ----- 43 Officers of Board ----- 44 Staff Officers ------ 44-46 Publications ------ - 47 [4] GENERAL STATEMENT THE corporate existence of The New York Public Library began May 23, 1895, by the consolidation of the Astor Library, the Lenox Library and the Tilden Trust. The Astor Library, incorporated 1849, owned at the time of consolidation a fund of $941,000 and 266,147 books. The Lenox Library, incorporated 1870, owned in 1895 a fund of $505,500 and 86,000 books. The Tilden Trust (founded by Samuel J. Tilden, who died 1886) brought to the Library $2,000,000. In 1901 the New York Free Circulating Library, with 11 branches, was consolidated with the new system. Between 1901 and 1904, the New York Free Circulating Li- brary for the Blind, the Aguilar, St. Agnes, Harlem, Tottenville, Washington Heights, University Settlement, Webster and Cathe- dral Libraries all joined the corporation. In 1901 Andrew Carnegie gave $5,200,000 to Greater New York for library buildings, on condition that the city provide the land and maintain the libraries when built. With that part of the gift which was assigned to The New York Public Library, 37 branches have been built. (The Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens have their own libraries. The New York Public Library serves the Boroughs of Manhattan, The Bronx, and Richmond.) [ 5 ] There are in The New York Public Library, outside the Central Building, 42 branches. In addition there are 6 sub-branches, in build- ings not owned by the Library, and the Mu- nicipal Reference Library in the Municipal Building. The Library is administered by a board of twenty-five trustees, of which number the Mayor, the Comptroller, and the President of the Board of Aldermen serve ex-officio. The executive officer of the corporation is the Director. The work of the Library is carried on in the Central Building at 476 Fifth Avenue (40th to 42nd streets) and in the branch libraries, of which thirty-one are in Man- hattan, seven in The Bronx, and four in Richmond. The Central Building was built for The New York Public Library by the City of New York, at an approximate cost, exclusive of the ground which was owned by the City, of $9,000,000. The architects were Carrere and Hastings. It was opened to the public on May 23, 1911. The Library occupies the building as a tenant under terms of a con- tract with the City, dated December 8, 1897. This building serves as the centre of the whole library system and contains the administrative offices of both Reference and Circulation Departments, the main ref- erence collections (i. e. the books from the Astor and Lenox Libraries, and those [6] bought since consolidation with the income from the endowment funds of the Library), a branch for the circulation of books, a children's room, a training school for libra- rians, and also the Extension Division (for- merly the Travelling Library Office), and the Library for the Blind. Running expenses of the Central Building, salaries of Reference Department employees, purchases of books for the reference collec- tions and for the Central Circulation Branch and Central Children's Room, and salaries of employees in Central Circulation and Central Children's Room are all paid by the Library out of its own funds without expense to the City. Administration of the branch libraries is conducted by the trustees in accordance with contracts entered into between the City and the Library on July 17, 1901, and March 20, 1902. On January 1, 1921, there were in the Reference Department 1,471,724 books and pamphlets: the Circulation Department had 1,157,414 books. The total number in the Library was, therefore, 2,629,138. Exceeded in size only by the Library of Congress in this country, and by two or three European libraries, it is the first library in the world in point of use. The average annual number of persons recorded as using the Reference Department from 1915 to 1919 was 838,623. The actual use is much larger; this count [7] includes only those who apply on written slips for books. Thousands of books are used without written application. The aver- age annual number of books lent for home use by the Circulation Department, from 1915 to 1919, was 10,148,501. In 1920, there were 976,164 persons recorded as using books in the Reference Department; they were supplied with 2,243,131 volumes. The number of books lent for home use through the Circulation Department in 1920 was 9,658,977. Visitors to the Central Building in 1920 numbered 2,696,609. The daily aver- age was 7,388. The number of employees on December 31, 1920, was 1,215. Of these, 508 were in the Reference Department, 11 in the Municipal Reference Library, and 696 in the Circulation Department.* To maintain the Reference Department in 1920, the Library disbursed $930,170.45 chiefly from its own endowments. In 1920 the disbursement for the Municipal Refer- ence Branch was $20,531.87, of which sum the City gave $20,217.17. For the Circulation De- partment in 1920 was expended $1,117,571.01, of which the City gave $1,022,048.15. A list of the Branches, with directions for reaching them, telephone numbers, etc., is given on pages 31-42. * The figures concerning the employees show the number of persons upon the payroll at that date, dis- regarding whether they held full-time or part-time posi- tions. Figures for the Library School are not included. [ 8 ] The Library is not a "rich" institution. It has a number of funds for special pur- poses, but its general book fund is inade- quate, and it is embarrassed by lack of money for general administration. The City pays for the Circulation Department, — that is, the forty-two Branch Libraries and six Sub-branches, outside the Central Building, and the Library for the Blind. The head- quarters offices of the Circulation Depart- ment are in the Central Building. The City pays nothing for the Reference Department of the Library (in the Central Building), — the Main Reading Room, and the thirteen special reading rooms. Neither the Director of the Library (who admin- isters the Circulation as well as Reference Department) nor any employee of the Ref- erence Department is paid from public funds. The City pays nothing for the Central Cir- culation Branch and the Central Children's Room on the Forty-second Street side of the building. More books are borrowed from the Central Circulation Branch than from any other Branch of the Library. [ 9 ] REFERENCE DEPARTMENT The Reference Department of the Library is in the Central Building, 476 Fifth Avenue. It maintains a collection numbering 1,469,521 volumes and pamphlets, which are for con- sultation within the building only, and by the terms of the gifts and endowments which provided them, may not be borrowed for home use. This collection includes lit- erature on all subjects of interest both to the general reader and to the student, but it is especially rich in American history, the eco- nomic and social sciences, the useful arts, music and the other fine arts, public docu- ments and official publications of govern- ments and states, and files of periodicals. Since there are large special libraries, else- where in the City, devoted to law, theology, medicine and biology, not so much attempt has been made in tecent years to obtain publications upon the subjects. Special col- lections of books on American history; gene- alogy; art and architecture; music; Jewish, Slavonic and oriental literatures; the mathe- matical and physical sciences; economics and sociology; public documents; technol- ogy; patents; current periodicals; news- papers; and maps are shelved in separate rooms. The main reading room and art gal- leries are on the third floor of the building. [ 11 ] The main reading room and the public catalogue room are open every day in the year, on week days from 9 a. m. to 10 p. m., on Sundays from 1 to 10 p. m. All the special reading rooms but four have the same hours except that they close on New Year's day, July 4, and Christmas. The map room, music room, oriental room, and pa- tents room close at 6 p. m. on week days and the entire day on Sundays. The Stuart room is closed on Sundays, the other art galleries and exhibition rooms being open from 1 to 6 p. m. on Sundays. The Central Building of the Library is not a show place. It has no mural paintings nor elaborate interior decorations to attract sightseers. Visitors who enter the front door and merely look around, will see marble cor- ridors and no books, unless they go to one of the reading-rooms. This is the result of a deliberate plan, and one that is approved by librarians generally, and by readers ex- perienced in the use of libraries. Except for the Central Circulation^ Branch, and Central Children's Room, on the Forty-second Street side, the reading rooms in this building are for study and research, and are placed and administered, not for the casual reader, but for the student, to whom quiet, and an op- portunity to work undisturbed, are impor- tant. Because the corridors are spacious the Library is able to receive between six and ten thousand visitors daily, without con- fusion. [ 12 ] The building is worth a visit, however, and over two million people come into it every year. It is absolutely free, like all buildings of The New York Public Library, and tips to employees are neither expected nor permitted. Books may be used within the building without giving any reference or security: the best way to find out about getting the Reference Department books is to go to the Information Desk on the third floor. A sightseer may get an idea of the building in half an hour, by following this route : Enter by the front door on Fifth Avenue, and go into the Main Exhibition Room, which faces the visitor as he enters. Here there are exhibitions, changed two or three times a year, of rare books, manuscripts, pictures or posters. Follow the corridor to the left, on leaving the Exhibition Room, and look into the Library for the Blind, on the left of the corridor. Continue by this corridor to the elevators, and ride to the third floor. On this floor, on the front of the building (toward Fifth Avenue) are pic- ture galleries, with permanent collections of paintings, and exhibitions of prints, changed from time to time. At the north end of the building, in Room 322, is the Spencer Collec- tion of handsomely-illustrated books and books in fine bindings. In the center of the corridor, at the head of the staircases, the door to the west leads to the Public Cata- [ 13 ] logue Room, and Information Desk. This room, in turn, leads to .the main reading room, with a floor area of half an acre, and seats for 768 readers. To get an idea of the size and proportions of this room, walk to either end of it, and view it from that point. Take the elevator again to the basement, and look in at the Central Circulation Branch, — a single room from which over half a million books are lent each year. The Central Children's Room is near by, — to many sightseers the most pleasing room in the building. The nearest exit is by the door leading to Forty-second Street. [ H ] CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT Borrowers' Privileges The field of the Circulation Department is the Boroughs of Manhattan, The Bronx, and Richmond. It provides for every per- son with a home or business address in the City the free privilege of borrowing books from its Branch Libraries. Borrowers' cards entitling the holders to draw for home use six books and one current magazine are issued to readers without charge, upon personal application at any branch. In the summer, borrowers may take out eight books at one time for vacation reading. This privilege extends from May 15 to October 1, and does not apply to books in popular demand. Branch Libraries The Branch Libraries are operated by the Circulation Department of The New York Public Library. Each Branch has an adult department with a collection of books for circulation among adult readers, a juvenile department with books for the special use of children, and a reading room in which are kept current magazines, and reference books. [ 15 ] Book Collections The book collections of the Branches and the Extension Division number about 1,157,- 000 volumes, representing about 132,000 sep- arate titles. In the different Branches the collections vary in size according to the demands of population, the larger Branches situated in densely populated sections of the City containing collections numbering from 25,000 to 30,000 volumes, while the smaller Branches in less crowded districts have from 8,000 to 10,000 volumes. For the most part the books are placed on open shelves to which all readers have free access for personal selec- tion and consultation. Besides books for circulation, a collection of reference books, dictionaries, encyclopaedias, year-books, etc., is maintained at each Branch, and an assist- ant is detailed to aid readers in the use of these books, and to answer questions. Additions are constantly made to Branch collections, both by the duplication of books in popular demand, and by the purchase of new titles. Technical Books. — In response to the de- mands of readers who require books of a technical nature, the Library maintains at the Branches special collections of up-to- date books dealing with the useful arts and applied sciences. Books are included on a large variety of subjects, such as banking and business administration, building and construction, manufacturing, electrical and [ 16 ] mechanical engineering, the special trades, handicrafts, etc. It is the desire of the Li- brary not only to satisfy the general reader, but also to be of practical assistance to the professional and business man, and to the artisan, by supplying for home use and study the best books about their special interests. Special Collections. There are books in foreign languages especially French and German, in all the Branches. The principal collections of books in foreign tongues other than French and German, are these: Language Branch Chinese .... Chatham Square. Czecho-Slovak - - Webster. Danish Tottenville, Central Reserve. Dutch Muhlenberg. Finnish .... 125th Street. Flemish .... Central Reserve. Greek (Modern) - Chatham Square. Hebrew .... Seward Park, Aguilar. Hungarian - - - Tompkins Square, Hamilton Fish Park, Yorkville, Woodstock. Italian Hudson Park, Aguilar. Norwegian - - - Tottenville. Polish Rivington St., Tompkins Sq., Columbus, Melrose. Roumanian - - - Rivington Street. Russian .... Seward Park, Rivington St., Hamilton Fish Park, 96th Street. Slovak Webster. Spanish .... Jackson Square. Swedish .... 125th Street. Servian .... Central Reserve. Yiddish .... Rivington Street, Seward Park, Hamilton Fish Park, Aguilar, Tremont. [ 17 J Music Scores. — Music is represented in every one of the Branches. At 135th Street Branch, and at Webster Branch, will be found specialized collections. The Czecho- slovak music at Webster is the largest col- lection in the United States. It contains full orchestra scores of Smetana's and Dvorak's operas; chamber music; piano works and songs; and the source-book of Czecho- slovak folk-songs, from which Novak and other composers have taken their themes. The 58th Street Branch, having the largest number of available volumes in the City for circulation, has been made the musical cen- tre of the Circulation Department. A sep- arate room in the building has been given to the music, and a special librarian placed in charge. Here will be found books about music, histories, essays, works on composi- tion, harmony, orchestration, conducting, etc., and biographies of musicians, minia- ture orchestral scores, vocal scores of the operas and librettos, oratorios and cantatas, songs, organ and piano works and chamber- music, both classic and modern; and a recent acquisition of ultra-modern piano composi- tions extremely valuable to the student. The Interbranch Loan System With so many Branch collections, it is manifestly impracticable to duplicate in each Branch any but the works of standard au- thors and current books in popular demand. [ 18 ] In order that the other books may be dis- tributed among the different Branches to the best advantage, and at the same time be accessible to readers in all parts of the city, the Circulation Department maintains the Interbranch Loan System for the inter- change of books between Branches. To insure prompt service in this interchange of books the Library has three motor- wagons which start from the Central Build- ing each morning and during the day call at all Branches in Manhattan and The Bronx. Branches on Staten Island are reached through outside express service. By this method books (except Fiction) in the collection of any one Branch are made available for circulation through any other Branch upon request of borrowers. Catalogues At each Branch a card catalogue is kept in which are listed alphabetically, by author, title, and subject, the books on the shelves. This "dictionary" catalogue is for the use of readers, and library assistants are always ready to explain its arrangement and answer any questions relating to its use. Supplementary to the card catalogues at the various Branches, a large union cata- logue of the books in the entire Department is maintained at the Cataloguing Office, [ 19 ] Room 100, Central Building. This catalogue is open to the public on week-days from 9 a. m. to 6 p. m. Picture Collection The Picture Collection is in Room 100 of the Central Building, and is open on week days from 9 a. m. to 6 p. m. The collection contains more than 100,000 pictures and post-cards on a wide variety of subjects. They may be borrowed on a Library card. Teachers, illustrators, designers, clubs and all others interested in the use of pictures can often find useful material in the Collec- tion. The Extension Division (Formerly The Travelling Libraries) The Extension Division is in the Central Building, and has a separate entrance on the Bryant Park side from West 40th Street. Hours: 9 a. m., to 6 p.m., week days. It is maintained for the purpose of supplying books to people who live in outlying dis- tricts of the three boroughs. This is done through Community Centres and Sub- branches. Where the community is respon- sible for its own library, that is, where it houses and circulates the books which are provided by the Extension Division, the station is known as a Community Centre. The Division exercises, in general, a super- visory interest and expects a monthly report [ 21 ] of circulation. When the centre grows to such proportions that it cannot be cared for by voluntary means, the Extension Division takes over the full control of the station and establishes a Sub-branch. These are rented quarters, open certain afternoons and two evenings a week. (See list of Sub-branches, p. 41.) Books are placed in fire and police sta- tions, and in such institutions as old ladies' homes, prisons, public employment bureaus, summer camps, schools and settlements. During the year 1920 there were 463 agencies circulating books. A total of 425,- 646 books were lent for home use and 75,140 were read at the agencies and class rooms. The Library for the Blind The Library for the Blind is in Room 116 on the first floor of the Central Building. It is open to readers on weekdays from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. The present collection con- tains over 12,000 volumes printed in the American Braille, Moon, New York point, line letter, Revised Braille, grade one and a half and Revised Braille, grade two, or, European Braille; 5,800 music scores; all embossed magazines and all magazines in ink print relating to work with the blind. All available material in the uniform type, Revised Braille, grade one and a half, is bought, but the Library's large collections [ 22 ] in the New York point and American Braille types will continue to be used for many years. About 3,000 volumes are circulated monthly. At the request of readers, books are sent free by mail, or they may be delivered through any Branch Library. The Library provides a home teacher, without charge, for adult blind residents of the city. Work with Children The privileges of the Library are offered to every child living in the boroughs of Manhattan, The Bronx, and Richmond, and upon personal application at any Branch a library card may be obtained entitling the holder to draw books from the children's room. There is no age limit for children, but as a rule those who have reached the 8th grade in the public schools (average age 14 years) and, in the opinion of the children's librarian, are ready for more mature reading, will be admitted to the adult department. In every Branch and Sub-branch a room, or section of a room, is maintained for the use of children, and is in charge of an assist- ant adapted to this work. Each children's room contains a representative collection of children's books, arranged on low shelves and separated into designated classes, such as Fairy Tales, Stories, Electricity, History, Biography, etc. In the use of these books [ 23 ] children are allowed to choose freely from the shelves, although assistants are at hand to aid in the selection. Besides the books for circulation, each children's room contains a collection of books for reading and reference use in the building. Many of these books are in attrac- tive illustrated editions. Boys and girls avail themselves freely of this privilege and often come to read and study in the children's rooms in connection with their lessons. The children's room in the Central Build- ing contains a larger collection of books (about 5,000 volumes) for reference and reading room use, in addition to its circu- lating collection. Special provision is made here for aiding parents, teachers, authors, illustrators, and all other persons interested in books for children. Story-telling is assigned a definite place in the work of the children's rooms, and from November to May, groups of children and of older boys and girls come together each week at various Branches to listen to stories told by library assistants. The stories are adapted from a wide range of literary sources, and include folk-tales, legends, hero stories, and historical tales, the general pur- pose being to arouse in the children deeper and more varied interests in reading. The results of the work with children are only partly indicated by the circulation during 1920 from the children's rooms of [25 ] 3,882,799 volumes, more than one-third of the total circulation for the year. Through the children's rooms the Library aims not only to provide for the children of this city opportunity for reading and study, under intelligent guidance, but also to develop in them a more genuine appreciation of its value in later life. Work with Schools The school work of the Library is carried on as a part of the community work of each Branch Library. Pupils, individually, or in class groups with their teachers, may go to the Library to use the reference books, to enjoy the reading-room collections in the children's rooms, and to learn how to be self- reliant and at ease in a library. School work is related to nearly every de- partment of the Library. It is the duty of the school librarians to acquaint teachers and pupils with the best and most direct methods of using these departments. The office of the Supervisor of Work with Schools (Hours: Tuesdays and Fridays, 2- 5 p. m., Saturdays, 9-12 a. m.) is at the 58th Street Branch. Books, pamphlets and read- ing lists of educational interest will be found there. By communicating with this office, teachers will be put in immediate connection with the best facilities the Library can offer, to deal with their individual problems. [ 26 ] THE LIBRARY SCHOOL A school for instruction in library methods was opened in 1911. It occupies quarters in the Central Building, where a lecture hall, a typewriting room, and a large study hall with individual desk-space for students and instructors are given over for school pur- poses. Candidates for the Library School are selected carefully, and with a view to their fitness for librarianship. The courses aggre- gate two years of study and practical work. The first-year curriculum is planned to afford general and well-rounded preparation, those who complete it satisfactorily being given certificates. The second year aims at specialization. Students who fulfil its requirements receive diplomas. New York City and its libraries provide unequalled facilities for such training as the prospective librarian needs. Practically every kind of library activity is represented, and the instruction by the Faculty is regu- larly supplemented by lectures given by library workers of prominence, and by visits, observation, and practical assignments bear- ing upon it. As far as possible also the class- [ 27 ] work is related to the various civic, social and educational enterprises carried on in the city. Incidentally those enrolled are encour- aged to attend book-auctions, to visit mu- seums, and to take full advantage of the best that New York offers in the way of lectures, music, and the drama. These opportunities have attracted some hundreds of students to the School in its nine years of existence, including young men and women from all sections of the United States and from sev- eral foreign countries. The Library School issues a circular descriptive of its work and facilities, which will be mailed upon request. Address the Principal of the Library School, Room 73, 476 Fifth Avenue, New York. L 28 ] MUNICIPAL REFERENCE LIBRARY The Municipal Reference Library is a branch maintained in the Municipal Build- ing (Room 512. Telephone: 1072 Worth) for the use of the City officials and em- ployees. Hours: Week-days only. 9 a.m., to 5 p. m. Saturdays, to 1 p. m. As a deposi- tory of New York City documents, with a collection of books, pamphlets, periodicals, maps, directories, etc., required in the work of any department, and reports from all important cities, it serves as a bureau of information and ready reference library. A weekly bulletin — The Municipal Reference Library Notes — is circulated among the city officials and to civic workers throughout the country. It is devoted to municipal affairs and to recent printed material on the sub- ject. A Public Health Division is main- tained in the Health Department Building, 505 Pearl Street, and a Civic Art Division in the Art Commission in City Hall. [ 29 ] HOURS OF OPENING (Circulation Department , Branch Libraries) Central Circulation open 9 a. m. to 10 p. m. every week day, 2 to 6 p. m. on Sundays. Chil- dren's Room 9 a. m. to 6 p. m. on week days. Library for the Blind and Circulation De- partment Offices open 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. on week -days. Extension Division, 9 a. m. to 6 p. m. on week days. Other branches, 9 a. m. to 9 p. m. on week days. Exceptions as follows : Central Circulation and branches in Carnegie buildings open full hours on all holidays ; other branches closed on all holidays and Christmas eve. For hours of Sub-branches, see page 41- 42. At the Rivington Street Branch an open- air reading room on the roof is open during the summer months. I 30 ] MANHATTAN BRANCHES The address is given first; the name of the Branch follows in ( ). When no name is given, it is the same as the name of the street. * East Broadway, 33. (Chatham Square.) Mrs. A. B. Alessios. East Broadway cars pass door; 2nd and 3rd Avenue Elevated (Chatham Square) and 3rd and 4th Avenue surface cars. Telephone, 719 Orchard. * East Broadway, 192. (Seward Park.) Miss Esther Johnston. East Broadway cars pass door. Subway to Brook- lyn Bridge and Avenue B surface cars; 2nd Avenue Elevated (Canal Street). Telephone, 4876 Orchard. * Rivington Street, 61. Miss L H. Horak. 2nd Avenue surface cars; 2nd Avenue Elevated. Telephone, 3496 Orchard. * Houston Street, 388 East. (Hamilton Fish Park.) Miss H. C. Ellis. Brooklyn cars of 8th or 14th Street lines cross Houston Street within four blocks. Telephone, 3893 Orchard. * Leroy Street, 66. (Hudson Park.) Miss M. A. Leonard. 8th Avenue surface cars; 9th Avenue Elevated; 7th Avenue Subway (Houston Street). Tele- phone, 3423 Spring. * Carnegie buildings, open full hours every weekday (legal holidays included). [ 31 ] too c PQ " 2 S £ Co »in " ■*-» PS ^ o W tn o 2 w « C Tj- u a v u